The Sailing Season Ends — But the Boat Work Begins

The best winter maintenance list starts with the things that annoyed you last summer.

The rope that always caught at the wrong moment. The fitting you had to jiggle before it would move. The seat you repaired once already. The patch of varnish you kept looking at and thinking, “I really must do something about that.”

During the sailing season, these things compete with a much more attractive prospect: getting afloat.

When there is a race about to start, a decent breeze on the river or an opportunity to take the family sailing, maintenance can become something we promise to do later.

Then autumn arrives.

The days shorten, the river becomes less predictable, and lifting a wet boat cover loses some of its appeal. For many of us, this is when the sailing slows down and the boat work begins.

With three very different boats to look after — our A-Rater Champagne, the RS Toura and Whaly Coyote, our electric camera boat — I have plenty to think about.

The challenge is turning all those remembered annoyances into a sensible winter plan.

Start With an Honest Review of the Season

Before reaching for polish, tools or a catalogue of tempting upgrades, it is worth asking three questions:

• What worked well?

• What broke, wore out or became unreliable?

• What did we keep meaning to fix?

That first question matters just as much as the other two.

A piece of equipment that worked reliably all season may need routine care rather than replacement. A rope that felt comfortable, ran freely and did its job has already passed a useful test. There is little value in changing it simply because something more expensive exists.

Equally, something that repeatedly caused trouble deserves attention, even if it looks reasonably presentable on the trolley.

The most useful inspection combines what you can see ashore with what you remember happening afloat.

A block may turn when you flick it with a finger, yet have been reluctant under load. A cleat may look sound but have allowed a rope to slip. A seat repair may appear acceptable until someone puts their weight on it.

Ask the people who sailed with you, too.

On a three-person boat such as Champagne, the helm will not notice every awkward lead, uncomfortable working position or troublesome fitting experienced by the rest of the crew.

“What kept getting in your way?” can be a remarkably productive maintenance question.

Inspect Before You Hide the Evidence

There is a temptation to begin with a thorough wash and put everything away looking respectable.

Cleaning is useful, but first take photographs and record anything that might help explain a problem: chafe marks, the way a rope has been rubbing, an unusual stain or the exact position of a loose fitting.

Then clean the boat using methods suitable for its materials, let things dry, and inspect again.

Work in a consistent order:

1. Hull, deck and visible structural areas.

2. Rudder, centreboard and steering arrangements.

3. Mast, boom, standing rigging and attachment points.

4. Sheets, halyards, blocks and cleats.

5. Sails, stitching and reinforced corners.

6. Covers, trolley, trailer and storage supports.

7. Safety equipment and any electrical systems.

For each concern, write down its location and what you actually observed.

“Rigging needs attention” is easily postponed.

“Photograph and measure both shrouds; ask a rigger about suitable replacements” gives you a next step.

You do not need to diagnose every problem yourself. Sometimes the right entry is simply: “Cause uncertain — get advice before using or repairing.”

Champagne: Look Beyond the Beautiful Silhouette

An A-Rater attracts attention for all the right reasons. Tall rig, elegant hull and an extraordinary presence on the river.

Looking after one also means becoming very familiar with the less glamorous details.

With Champagne, the winter inspection needs to revisit the areas that have already demanded attention: the rudder cassette, jib luff arrangement, covers, hull damage and timber finish.

The important word is revisit.

A repair completed during the season should be checked to see how it has performed. Has movement returned? Is there fresh chafe? Has water found another route in? Has a small damaged area changed?

Steering deserves an early place on the list

Play in a rudder arrangement can become something you gradually accommodate without realising it.

You steer around it. You get used to the feel. It becomes part of the boat’s character.

That does not make it harmless.

For Champagne, the sensible approach is to check the cassette and its attachments, establish where any movement originates, and assess the effectiveness of previous work.

A steering problem belongs near the top of the list because it affects control of the boat.

Rigging needs more than a quick glance

Our long shrouds raise a practical question: what happens when the replacement you can readily find is shorter than the one already fitted?

This is where measuring properly and getting appropriate advice matters. Overall assembly length, wire specification, terminal type and adjustment range all need to be considered together.

A nominally similar length in a catalogue is not enough information to order confidently.

Whether making up a wire assembly yourself is appropriate depends on the specified fittings, tools and method. That deserves its own investigation with a competent rigger, rather than an improvised solution because something is nearly the right size.

Know when to bring in a professional

The whitish marks towards the front of Champagne are something we plan to have assessed and repaired by a professional boatbuilder.

That is an important part of winter maintenance: recognising the limits of your own diagnosis.

A discoloured finish, trapped moisture and a problem beneath the surface can require different responses. Making an area look better does not necessarily resolve the cause.

I enjoy working on boats, but there is considerable value in paying someone with the right experience to establish what actually needs doing.

The RS Toura: Tough Boats Still Need Attention

The RS Toura has a very different job in our sailing life.

It is a practical family boat, with a durable polyethylene hull. RS specifies its construction as Comptec PE3 polyethylene, which also means hull work needs an approach appropriate to that material.

For our Toura, one item is particularly familiar: the seat needs attention again.

A repeat repair should prompt a better question than, “What shall I stick it back with this time?”

Why did the previous repair fail?

Was the original cause still present? Was the repair method suitable? Is there movement or loading that we have not properly accounted for?

Repeated failure is useful evidence. It suggests the job needs reassessing before repeating the same process.

Follow the whole system

The Toura inspection should also follow each control through its working route.

Take the mainsheet as an example. Look at the rope, its lead, the blocks, their attachments and the cleat. Replacing one worn component may achieve little if another part of the system caused the wear.

The same approach applies to the jib furler, reefing arrangements, spinnaker handling and lifting foils.

Think back to using them afloat:

• Did the centreboard move as expected?

• Did the rudder lift and secure reliably?

• Were reefing arrangements straightforward?

• Did sheets run freely?

• Was anything awkward enough that we avoided using it?

That last question is revealing. Equipment that is inconvenient often gets worked around, leaving the original problem unresolved.

Whaly Coyote: Electric Does Not Mean Maintenance-Free

Whaly Coyote has a different purpose again: providing a platform for filming and photography on the water.

Its ePropulsion Navy 3.0 and E60 battery make the electrical installation an important part of the inspection.

There may be no petrol engine to service, but there are still a motor, propeller, mounting arrangements, cables, connectors, controls and a substantial battery to look after.

Check for visible damage, loose supports, cable chafe and signs of moisture around connections. Isolate the system in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions before maintenance.

For winter storage, use the instructions for the particular motor and battery fitted. ePropulsion’s E-Series guidance calls for protecting connectors and monitoring battery charge during storage; the correct manual should determine the detailed routine.

“Put it away and forget about it until spring” is not much of a maintenance plan.

Camera equipment belongs on the boat list

For a camera boat, the inspection should include the things that keep the filming equipment secure and usable:

• Mounts, clamps and fixing points.

• Independent camera tethers.

• Cable routes and possible snagging points.

• Dry storage.

• Access to controls without obstructing movement.

Having already lost a camera, I have a particular interest in secure mounts and independent tethers.

A useful winter improvement might be a better camera position or a more convenient storage arrangement. It should also make working aboard easier and keep essential access clear.

Turn the Findings Into Three Lists

A long list of jobs can feel impressive while being surprisingly difficult to act on.

I prefer three straightforward categories.

Category	What belongs here?	Example
Essential repairs	Problems affecting safety, control, structural integrity or dependable operation; defects that may worsen in storage	Unresolved steering movement, damaged rigging or a leaking cover allowing further deterioration
Useful improvements	Changes that solve a recurring difficulty or make the boat easier to use	Better rope storage, clearer control labels or a more practical camera mount
Things that can wait	Cosmetic work and optional additions with no immediate consequence from postponement	Minor superficial marks or an extra camera angle

These categories require judgement.

A mark on a hull may be superficial, or it may need investigation. A damaged cover may seem less important than a sailing fitting, yet allow water to undo months of careful work.

Classify the consequence of the problem, rather than judging how dramatic it looks.

If you do not know the consequence, assessment becomes the first job.

Useful Improvements Should Solve a Named Problem

Winter is a dangerous season for browsing chandlery websites.

A new rope, clever fitting or additional gadget can quickly become something the boat apparently needs.

Before buying it, finish this sentence:

“This will improve our sailing because…”

For example:

“This rope bag will keep loose sheets out of the crew’s working area.”

“This revised camera mount will let us adjust the view without reaching awkwardly.”

“This replacement block will address the control that repeatedly jammed.”

Those are useful reasons.

It is also worth asking whether an existing part could work better after cleaning, adjustment or a corrected lead.

A particularly useful exercise aboard Champagne would be to walk through a tack or mark rounding ashore. Each person takes their usual position and explains what they need to reach, move or release.

Some improvements become obvious when you look at the boat as a working space.

Write Jobs You Can Actually Complete

“Sort out the boat” is a burden.

“Remove the suspect block, photograph its markings and identify a replacement” is a task.

For each significant job, record:

• The observation: what you saw or experienced.

• The next action: inspect, measure, obtain advice, repair or replace.

• Who will do it: you, another crew member or a specialist.

• What is needed: parts, information, workspace or suitable weather.

• The deadline: before storage, during winter or before launching.

• The check afterwards: how you will confirm the work has succeeded.

For example:

Observation: Seat repair on the Toura needs attention again.
Next action: Examine the failure and obtain advice on a suitable repair method.
Deadline: Before the next sailing session.
Check afterwards: Confirm that the seat and its attachments are secure before use.

This approach also helps with budgeting. Obtain quotations for the essential work before spending the available money on optional upgrades.

Do the Jobs in a Sensible Order

Some work becomes urgent as soon as the season ends.

Wet sails need appropriate drying and storage. A failing cover needs attention before it admits more water. A boat needs suitable support before being left ashore for months.

Other jobs need planning rather than immediate action.

Sailmakers, riggers and boatbuilders need time, so contact them early. Weather-dependent finishing work may need to wait for suitable conditions. Follow the relevant product instructions for preparation, temperature and curing.

Allow time for reassembly and checking, too.

A repair is not complete merely because the tools have been put away. Controls need to run correctly, fastenings need checking, and repaired systems need an appropriate test before normal use.

Where the boat is safe and conditions allow, a calm shakedown session can reveal things that an inspection ashore cannot.

Keep a Record — Including What Worked

Photographs and a simple notebook can save a great deal of uncertainty next winter.

Record what was repaired, which materials or parts were used, and how the work performed afterwards. Keep measurements and useful part references.

Also record the successes.

Which rope lasted well? Which cover arrangement kept water out? Which small change made launching easier?

Maintenance becomes more effective when you can learn from it, just as sailing does.

With three boats, that record is especially valuable. Otherwise, it becomes remarkably easy to remember that something was replaced while forgetting which boat received it.

Winter Work Is Part of Next Season’s Sailing

There is satisfaction in arriving at the club on a bright spring morning, uncovering the boat and finding that everything is ready.

The steering feels right. The controls run freely. The seat is secure. The camera mount holds firm. The little problem that irritated everyone last year has finally disappeared.

That morning begins with the decisions we make now.

For Champagne, the Toura and Whaly Coyote, the aim is to understand what the season has taught us and turn it into manageable work.

Some jobs need immediate attention. Some deserve a place in the winter budget. Others can wait quite happily.

Your first winter maintenance task: write down the three things that annoyed you most last season. For each one, decide whether it needs an essential repair, a useful improvement or a place on the “can wait” list.

The sailing season may be slowing down, but the work towards a better one has already begun.